Slamming Mamata Banerjee for the decision to replace the West Bengal Governor with the Chief Minister as the Chancellor of the state-run University, BJP leader Amit Malviya on Thursday termed the move an "attack on federalism" and called it "another attempt to evade accountability and transparency".
The decision was made in a Cabinet meeting today, a move that is seen as a fallout of the long-persistent deadlock between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar.
Speaking to ANI, Malviya said, "It is one more attempt of the Mamata government to evade accountability and transparency. There are already many vice-chancellors who were appointed in the state Universities and who are undergoing hearings in the High Court. This is controversial. Such people have been appointed as VC who don't have the credentials to be on the post."
"This decision of the government will give it complete hegemony over the Universities after which the government won't be mandated to answer the queries raised by the Governor," he alleged.
The BJP leader further said that it is an attempt to "divert attention from scams" going on in the state.
"This is an attack on federalism. A lot of scams have come to the fore in West Bengal which are associated with the Education department and employment. Mamata is bringing in such laws to divert attention from such issues," he said.
Reacting to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's visit to London which the government sources said had no political clearance and stated the leader did not follow the due procedure, Malviya said that the Wayanad MP considers himself above the law.
"Rahul Gandhi is an MP. If any MP has to go abroad on an unofficial visit, he has to inform the Parliament according to the law. He did not inform the Parliament. He thinks he is above the law and does not consider it important to adhere to the law of the Parliament," he said.
( With inputs from ANI )
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